The bold crime happened amid a seemingly calculated attack on the base’s perimeter fence in the past few weeks, with the shed being stolen from housing on the base.

Squadron Leader Rick Fryer said the thieves had cut a hole 2ft high by 8ft wide directly behind the shed, so it was not visible from nearby houses. One night, the culprits squeezed through the hole into the garden of the unoccupied house, dismantled the 12 feet by eight feet shed – which had a solar panel on its roof – and passed it back through the hole before escaping.

The incident happened in the north-west corner of the base, towards West Suffolk Golf Centre, with the thieves able to escape over the fields near Rookery Drove and Skelton’s Drove. Sqn Ldr Fryer said that base staff had initially discovered holes behind sheds at five properties around three weeks ago, and patched them up.

However, similar holes were discovered at the same

properties only a week ago, during which time the shed was stolen from one of the biggest US Air Force bases outside north America.

He added: “Faintly amusing to us with a sense of humour was through one of the holes, an entire garden shed was stolen. It’s not a small shed.

“It’s rather disappointing the neighbours didn’t notice, because the house was unoccupied.

“If anyone tries to sell you a nice new shed with a solar panel attached to the roof, that’s the one that was nicked.

“We are increasing our own police presence. I know it happens elsewhere.”